News and information about transportation, including roads, transit, hiker-biker trails and pedestrian safety.

Friday, June 3, 2016

MCDOT to Provide Supplemental Bus and Other Services During SafeTrack Surges

The Montgomery County Department of
Transportation (MCDOT) continues to develop plans to supplement the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) efforts to assist travelers
during SafeTrack. SafeTrack is WMATA’s year-long effort to improve the safety
and reliability of the Metrorail system. Three planned line segment repairs and
around-the-clock single tracking projects, referred to as “Safety Surges,” will
affect WMATA’s Red Line service in Montgomery County.

“Montgomery County residents and
employees are going to be significantly impacted by SafeTrack and that is why I
have directed MCDOT to take the lead in doing what we can to mitigate these
effects -- not only for Red Line riders but for all travelers in the County,”
said Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. “MCDOT is closely coordinating
our response to SafeTrack with our regional partners – WMATA, the Maryland
Transit Administration (MTA), the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)
and Capital Bikeshare -- through a multi-pronged approach in cooperation with
our Police and Department of General Services -- to do what we can to offer
options to our residents.”

MCDOT is coordinating with WMATA,
MTA, MDOT and Capital Bikeshare to assist travelers as they continue to work on
their service plans for later Surges. WMATA’s first Surge (Surge 6) in
Montgomery County does not begin until August 1. WMATA has committed 40 buses
to enhance service in surge areas. Responding to a request from MCDOT, MARC will
add cars to existing trains during peak periods. Capital Bikeshare will offer a
$2 one-time use option.

Throughout the Surges, MCDOT will
be monitoring conditions and making adjustments as needed, but its initial plan
is shown below:

ENHANCE RIDE ON SERVICE – INITIAL PLAN:

By keeping up to 17 recently
replaced buses in service, MCDOT will both provide additional Ride On service
on certain bus routes and free bus shuttles between affected Metrorail
stations. Ride On will provide on-street ambassadors at affected Metrorail
stations to help direct travelers to transit options.

Surge 6 - August 1 through August 7, 2016: Continuous
single tracking from the Takoma to Silver Spring stations. Ride On will provide free bus shuttles
every 10 minutes during peak travel times:

Silver
Spring to Fort Totten stations (connecting with Metro’s Green Line) with
service at Takoma Station; and

Grosvenor
to Friendship Heights stations, with stops at Medical Center and Bethesda.

Surge 7 - August 9 through August 18, 2016: Continuous
single tracking from the Twinbrook to Shady Grove stations.

Ride On will provide a free bus shuttle between the Grosvenor and Shady Grove stations via I-270 every 10 minutes during peak travel times.

Ride On will add more buses to Ride On’s Route 46 that provides service from Grosvenor to Rockville via White Flint and Twinbrook, increasing bus frequency to every 10 minutes during peak travel times. Regular fares apply.

Surge 10 - October 10 through November 1,
2016:
Total shutdown of Metrorail between NoMa-Galludet University and Fort Totten
stations.

Ride On will provide free bus shuttles every 10 minutes during peak travel times between the Silver Spring Transit Center and Fort Totten via Takoma Station along Blair Road.

Ride On’s service will supplement WMATA’s bus bridge between Fort Totten and NoMa-Galludet University Station.

PROMOTE ALTERNATIVES THROUGH COMMUTER
SERVICES

Coordinate with area employers to
use Fare Share transit and vanpool benefits and increased State tax credits to
augment promotion of alternatives to Metrorail, including vanpools, buses and
MARC train.

Promote adoption of telework by
employers by holding seminars and webinars and providing free consulting
services. “Telework Quick Start” webinars are schedule for June 23 and 28.

The TMC monitors and provides
information on traffic conditions and can make traffic signal adjustments in
real time. The TMC will increase its emphasis on improving traffic flow in
corridors affected by SafeTrack Surges, facilitating signal changes and
providing enhanced response to disabled vehicles or other traffic impediments.

USE ON-STREET PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND
ENFORCEMENT AS NEEDED TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW

MCDOT will focus efforts on traffic
corridors in areas affected by SafeTrack.